Change Your Thoughts and You'll Change Your World

Everyone could use a little more positive thinking in their life. Right? I know that when I practice gratitude and mindfulness, I feel better!

Did you know a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health said that people who are optimistic live on average 11 to 15% longer, and they have a 50% greater shot of making it to age 85? Amazing!

The power of positive thinking is real!

That’s why I love our new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive, Live Happy . The book is filled with stories of people who deliberately became more positive and found their lives transformed. They used gratitude and mindfulness to find pleasure in everyday moments; they tried new things; they found new perspectives by looking outside their own experience; and all these actions were part of a decision to actively use positive thinking.

Here’s one of my favorite stories from the book about practicing gratitude and gladtitude.

Practice gratitude to permanently change your perspective.
In her story, "My Glatitude Journal," Ann Morrow couldn’t force herself to keep a daily gratitude journal no matter how many times she tried. She already kept a regular journal of her thoughts and ideas, and having to make a list of five things she was thankful for each day didn’t resonate with her. But then, one day, years after giving up the gratitude journal idea, she started reading through her old regular journals and discovered that she did indeed have much to be grateful for. Even though she thought she had tried and failed over the years to accomplish the major goals that were suggested by the various self-help books she had read, she realized that in her own way, slowly but surely, she had accomplished a lot! Now she willingly keeps what she calls a “gladitude” journal, in which she keeps track of what went right each day and what Ann calls “the little wins.” Her new gladitude journal reminds her that “nothing is too small to be celebrated” and that she needs to give herself credit for the progress she is making.

Inspirational

Chicken Soup for the Soul has been “changing lives one story at a time”® since 1993 with more than 250 books that provide hope, inspiration, and tips for a better life. Virtually every title becomes a self-help bestseller. Each book contains 101 true, personal stories submitted by ordinary people with extraordinary experiences to share. The topics are wide-ranging, but always inspirational and entertaining, covering everything from faith and spirituality to family, marriage, pets, and overcoming challenges of all kinds. Life values such as gratitude, forgiveness, mindfulness, positive thinking, and giving back are a big part of the series, with specific self-help books that help readers of all ages, from children to the elderly.